The pandemic has undoubtedly altered business priorities and accelerated trends like sustainability, which were reshaping companies’ policies and supply chains long before Covid-19. With leading brands remaining steadfast in their commitment to prioritising their environmental credentials, the packaging industry has placed a renewed emphasis on addressing its sustainability goals.
Currently, emissions from packaging materials amount to approximately 1.1 global tonnes of CO2 per year – more than the global aviation or shipping industries. Unless the issue is addressed, materials will account for 32% of global CO2 emissions from energy and industry by 2050, jeopardising the landmark achievements of the 2016 Paris Agreement. It is no exaggeration that solving the climate change crisis demands collective action and that our industry has a core role to play.
There is an urgent need for all stakeholders in the packaging sector to work together to help the UK achieve its carbon goals. At Tetra Pak, we’ve joined forces with Veolia on an EU wide initiative to increase carton recycling. The recovered fibres from paperboard can be converted into high-quality paper pulp, and the polymer and aluminium into a wide range of alternate products.
Tesco has also recently partnered with circular packaging service Loop on an online refillable container trial. The scheme covers 150 products, which are delivered in reusable containers in exchange for a deposit, and then washed and reused.
While it is encouraging to see UK retailers trialling deposit return schemes, there is a need for policymakers to establish and consolidate effective collection systems to boost recycling rates, and reduce the packaging industry’s carbon impact.
But it’s not as simple as just improving the way we use and reuse materials in silo. To achieve actual change, the industry must also look at the whole life-cycle of a package and commit to a circular economy. Investment in innovation and technology is integral to this.
There is significant pressure from every party in the supply chain to respond to the challenge of sustainable packaging. The majority of retailers in our Positive Packaging: Towards a Low Carbon Future (UK&I) report cited it as their main consideration when choosing a supplier and 45% stated that low-carbon packaging was a driving factor in their decision making.
Looking at waste and decarbonisation in isolation will not achieve a circular economy – we must scrutinise the process as a whole, as an industry, to find the most effective solutions.
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